


Number 11, Corinth street

by RebeccaOTool



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 11:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5867344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebeccaOTool/pseuds/RebeccaOTool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."</p><p>If only.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Number 11, Corinth street

Batman stared at the Joker, mouth drawn in a hard line. “I suppose you think this is funny.”

“It’s a _gas_!” The Joker howled, throwing himself on the cobblestone street. Tears leaked down his face as he laughed. “Even you’ve got to see the humor here, Bats.”

Batman narrowed his eyes. “Try me.”

Joker sat up, high-pitched giggles escaping his lips. “Oh please, don’t tell me you’re sticking with that sorry sad-sack state, Batman. This is _hilarious_ ; inconvenient, but hilarious.”

“Mm.” Batman crossed his arms; better to let Joker speak and see if anything slipped. 

Joker dragged a sleeve across his eyes, eradicating the tears. “Whatta ya say? Do we go back to Arkham and see what the good doctors there want to make of me? I imagine a few of your lesser adversaries locked away in there would pay a hefty price to get their hands on me. Or do you take me back to cave-sweet-cave and enact a few choice scenes from Mr. Mom? Either way, it’ll be a fun night.”

The rictus grin was more disturbing plastered across this child’s face than any other Batman had seen. Joker had gained no sanity and lost no memory in the baffling transition from man to child. His skin was still bleached, hair green, lips blood red. His purple suit, oversized, only added to the supposed hilarity of the situation.

“Who did this?” 

“Oh, how should I know?” Joker waved him off and climbed to his feet, rocking unsteadily in huge shoes. “Ivy with one of her special plants, or maybe Dr. Destiny got a little tired of seeing the same _old_ faces, heh heh! Or any one of a hundred of the people I’ve crossed in my pursuit of _you_ , Batsy. It’s amazing how common the impossible has become around Gotham these days.”

The door of the Batmobile opened behind them. “Get in.”

“As if I wanted to be anywhere else.” Joker smiled sweetly. 

A chill descended down Batman’s spine. He’d seen plenty of troubled children during his service to Gotham. It paled in comparison to this five year old wrapped around the Joker’s insanity. 

“Whatsa matter Batsy? The night is young, and so am I!” The laughter echoed down the alley. “Hmm, all those Robins and you never put a safety seat in this thing? Tsk tsk. No wonder they keep turning up dead.”

Batman entered the Batmobile, jaw clenched. He couldn’t take Joker back to the asylum; if the other inmates found out, they’d tear him apart. Maybe even the guards. Why not take out the Clown Prince of Crime when he couldn’t fight back?

Joker sat in the passenger seat, hands folded in his lap, gloves flopping. “Well? I’d drive myself, but I can’t quite reach the pedals.”

The Batmobile roared to life. “The more difficult you make things, the longer you’ll stay like this. And there’s nothing funny about a disturbed child.”

Joker sighed and folded his hands behind his head as they sped off. “That’s the trouble with you Bats; there’s always something funny if you look hard enough.

Batman said nothing, eyes locked on the road ahead.

The child’s eyes narrowed. “And when I have a good hard look at the one who’s done this to me, I guarantee I’ll be laughing.”

\--------  
To be continued…?  
\--------

**Author's Note:**

> It just came to me; I'd never seen a story where Batman has to deal with age-reduced foes. How does one handle a homicidal, psychopathic child? I don't know. Maybe Batman does. No idea if I'll continue this or not, but I had to get this bit onto paper. Computer. Whatever.


End file.
